AN ORDINANCE GRANTING A FRANCHISE BY THE CITY OF HILLSBORO, COUNTY OF MARION, KANSAS TO ATMOS ENERGY CORPORATION, ITS SUCCESSORS AND ASSIGNS, THE RIGHT TO FURNISH, SELL AND DISTRIBUTE GAS TO THE CITY AND TO ALL PERSONS, BUSINESSES AND INDUSTRIES WITHIN THE CITY AND THE RIGHT TO ACQUIRE, CONSTRUCT, INSTALL, LOCATE, MAINTAIN, OPERATE AND EXTEND INTO, WITHIN AND THROUGH SAID CITY ALL FACILITIES REASONABLY NECESSARY TO FURNISH, SELL AND DISTRIBUTE GAS TO THE CITY AND TO ALL PERSONS, BUSINESSES AND INDUSTRIES WITHIN THE CITY AND IN THE TERRITORY ADJACENT THERETO AND THE RIGHT TO MAKE REASONABLE USE OF ALL STREETS AND OTHER PUBLIC PLACES AS MAY BE NECESSARY, AND FIXING THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS THEREOF.
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE GOVERNING BODY OF THE CITY OF HILLSBORO, MARION COUNTY, KANSAS:
ARTICLE I Definitions
For the purpose of this franchise, the following words and phrases shall have the meaning given in this Article. When not inconsistent with the context, words used in the present tense include the future tense, words in the plural number include the singular number and words in the singular number include the plural number. The word “shall” is mandatory and “may” is permissive. Words not defined in this Article shall be given their common and ordinary meaning.
1.1 “Governing Body” refers to and is the governing body of the City of Hillsboro, Kansas.
1.2 “Company” refers to and is Atmos Energy Corporation and its successors and assigns.
1.3 “Distribution Facilities” refer to and are only those facilities reasonably necessary to provide gas within the City.
1.4 “Facilities” refer to and are all facilities reasonably necessary to provide gas into, within and through the City and include plants, works, systems, lines, equipment, pipes, mains, underground links, gas compressors and meters.
1.5 “Gas” or “Natural Gas” refers to and is such gaseous fuels as natural, artificial, synthetic, liquefied natural, liquefied petroleum, manufactured or any mixture thereof.
1.6 “Kansas Corporation Commission” and/or “KCC” refer to and is the State Corporation Commission of the State of Kansas or other authority succeeding to the regulatory powers of the KCC.
1.7 “Revenues” refer to and are those amounts of money which the Company receives from its customers within the City for the sale of gas under rates, temporary or permanent, authorized by the KCC and represents amounts billed under such rates as adjusted for refunds, the net write-off of uncollectible accounts, corrections or other regulatory adjustments.
1.8 “Streets and Other Public Places” refer to and are streets, alleys, viaducts, bridges, roads, lanes, easements, public ways and other public places in said City.
1.9 “City” refers to and is the City of Hillsboro, Marion County, Kansas, and includes the territory as currently is or may in the future be included within the boundaries of the City of Hillsboro.
ARTICLE II Grant of Franchise
2.1 Grant of Franchise. The City hereby grants to the Company, for the period specified and subject to the conditions, terms and provisions contained in this Ordinance, the right to furnish, sell and distribute gas to the City and to all persons, businesses and industries within the City, the right to acquire, construct, install, locate, maintain, operate and extend into, within and through the City all facilities reasonably necessary to provide gas to the City and to all persons, businesses and industries within the City and in the territory adjacent thereto; and the right to make reasonable use of all streets and other public places as may be necessary to carry out the terms of the Ordinance.
2.2 Term of Franchise. The term of this franchise shall be for a period of five (5) years from the date of its final passage and approval; provided, this franchise and all rights and privileges herein provided shall be extended for three (3) successive periods of five (5) years, for a total of not more than twenty (20) years, unless the City by notice given to the Company and by Ordinance duly enacted and approved at least ninety (90) days before the end of each such term of five (5) years, shall declare such termination effective.
ARTICLE III Franchise Fee
3.1 Franchise Fee. In consideration for the grant of this franchise, the Company shall collect and remit to the City a sum equal to five percent (5%) of the revenues derived annually from the sale of gas within the City. The Franchisee fee prescribed herein shall be paid to the City quarterly on or before the 30th day after the end of each calendar quarter after the effective date of the franchise. Payments at the beginning and end of the franchise shall be prorated.
3.2 Franchise Fee Payment in Lieu of Other Fees. The payments and compensation herein provided shall be in lieu of all other licenses, taxes, charges, and fees, except that (a) the usual general property taxes and special ad valorem property assessments, sales, and excise taxes or charges made for privileges, which are not connected with the natural gas business, (b) any restoration costs or damages caused by Company’s activities, will be imposed on the Company and are not covered by the payments herein. From and after the date hereof, however, the permit fees required of the Company by any ordinance presently in effect or hereafter adopted for a permit to excavate in or adjacent to any street, alley, or other public place shall be deemed a part of the compensation paid in Section 2 and shall not be separately assessed or collected by the City; in no event, however, shall this provision be interpreted to waive the requirement of notice to the City and the procedural requirements of such ordinance.
ARTICLE IV Conduct of Business
4.1 Conduct of Business. The Company may establish, from time to time, such rules, regulations, terms and conditions governing the conduct of its business as shall be reasonably necessary to enable the Company to exercise its rights and perform its obligations under this franchise; provided, however, that such rules, regulations, terms and conditions shall not be in conflict with the laws of the state of Kansas.
4.2 Tariffs on File. The Company shall keep on file in its nearest office copies of all its tariffs currently in effect and on file with the KCC. Said tariffs shall be available for inspection by the public.
4.3 Compliance with KCC Regulations. The Company shall comply with all rules and regulations adopted by the KCC.
4.4 Compliance with Company Tariffs. The Company shall furnish gas within the City to the City and to all persons, businesses and industries within the City at the rates and under the terms and conditions set forth in its tariffs on file with the KCC.
4.5 Applicability of Company Tariffs. The City and the Company recognize that the lawful provisions of the Company's tariffs on file and in effect with the KCC are controlling over any inconsistent provision in this franchise dealing with the same subject matter.
ARTICLE V Construction, Installation & Operation of Company Facilities
5.1 Location of Facilities. The Company's use of the right-of-way shall in all matters be subordinate to the City's use of the right-of-way for any public purpose. The Company shall coordinate the installation of its facilities in the right-of-way in a manner which minimizes adverse impact on public improvements, as reasonably determined by the City. Where installation is not otherwise regulated, the facilities shall be placed with adequate clearance from such public improvements so as not to conflict with such public improvements. Company facilities shall not interfere with the City's water mains, sewer mains or other municipal use of streets and other public places. Company facilities shall be located so as to cause minimum interference with public use of streets and other public places and shall be maintained in good repair and condition.
5.2 Excavation and Construction. The Company, in the construction, maintenance, and operation of its system, shall use all reasonable and proper precaution to avoid damage or injury to persons and property, and shall hold and save harmless the City (and all of its officers, employees, agents, and authorized contractors), from any and all damage, injury and expense caused by the negligence of said Company, its successors and assigns, or its or their agents or servants. All construction, excavation, maintenance and repair work done by the Company shall be done in a timely and expeditious manner that minimizes the inconvenience to the public and individuals. All such construction, excavation, maintenance and repair work done by the Company shall comply with all applicable state and federal codes. All public and private property whose use conforms to restrictions in easements disturbed by Company construction or excavation activities shall be restored as soon as practicable by the Company at its expense to substantially its former condition. The Company shall comply with the City's requests for reasonable and prompt action to remedy all damage to private property adjacent to streets or dedicated easements where the Company is performing construction, excavation, maintenance or repair work. The City reserves the right to restore property and remedy damages caused by Company activities at the expense of the Company in the event the Company fails to perform such work within a reasonable time after notice from the City. At least ten (10) business days before the beginning of any installation, removal or relocation of its facilities in the right-of-way the Company shall submit detailed plans of the proposed action to the City Administrator. The City Administrator shall, within ten (10) business days of receipt of such plans, either approve the plans or inform the Company of the reasons for disapproval. In the event the City Administrator does not approve the plans submitted by the Company, the City Administrator, or an employee or agent of the City, shall make commercially reasonable efforts to assist the Company in revising its plans for approval. The Company shall designate a responsible contact person with whom representatives of the City Administrator can communicate on all matters relating to facilities installation and maintenance. It shall be the responsibility of the Company to take adequate measures to protect and defend its facilities in the right-of-way from harm or damage.
5.3 Relocation of Company Facilities. If at any time the City requests the Company to relocate any distribution gas main or service connection installed or maintained in streets or other public places in order to permit the City to change street grades, pavements, sewers, water mains or other City works, such relocation shall be made by the Company at its expense. Following relocation, the Company, at its expense, shall restore all property to substantially its former condition.
5.4 Service to New Areas. If during the term of this franchise the boundaries of the City are expanded, the Company may, subject to the terms of Company’s applicable tariff provisions for main extensions, extend service to the newly incorporated areas. Service to annexed areas shall be in accordance with the terms of this franchise agreement. The City will promptly notify Company in writing of any geographic areas annexed by the City during the term hereof (“Annexation Notice”). Any such Annexation Notice shall be sent to Company by certified mail, return receipt requested, and shall contain the effective date of the annexation, maps showing the annexed area and such other information as Company may reasonably require in ascertaining whether there exist any customers of Company receiving natural gas service in said annexed area. To the extent there are such Company customers therein, then the gross revenues of Company derived from the sale and distribution of natural gas to such customers shall become subject to the franchise fee provisions hereof effective on the first day of Company’s billing cycle immediately following Company’s receipt of the Annexation Notice. The failure by the City to advise Company in writing through proper Annexation Notice of any geographic areas which are annexed by the City shall relieve Company from any obligation to remit any franchise fees to City based upon gross revenues derived by Company from the sale and distribution of natural gas to customers within the annexed area until City delivers an Annexation Notice to Company in accordance with the terms hereof.
5.5 Restoration of Service. In the event the Company's gas system, or any part thereof, is partially or wholly destroyed or incapacitated, the Company shall use due diligence to restore its system to satisfactory service within the shortest practicable time.
5.6 Supply and Quality of Service. The Company shall make available an adequate supply of gas to provide service in the City. The Company's facilities shall be of sufficient quality, durability and redundancy to provide adequate and efficient gas service to the City.
5.7 Safety Regulations by the City. The City reserves the right to adopt, from time to time, reasonable regulations in the exercise of its police power which are necessary to ensure the health, safety and welfare of the public, provided that such regulations are not destructive of the rights granted herein. The Company agrees to comply with all such regulations, in the construction, maintenance and operation of its facilities and in the provision of gas within the City.
5.8 Inspection, Audit and Quality Control. The City shall have the right to inspect, at all reasonable times, any portion of the Company's system used to serve the City and its residents. The City also shall have the right to inspect and conduct an audit of Company records relevant to compliance with any terms of this Ordinance at all reasonable times at Company’s principal offices where said records are kept and maintained. The Company agrees to cooperate with the City in conducting the inspection and/or audit and to correct any discrepancies affecting the City's interest in a prompt and efficient manner.
5.9 Location of Facilities. The Company shall cooperate with the City and take all reasonable measures necessary to provide accurate and complete information regarding the location of its facilities located within the right-of-way when requested by the City or its authorized agents for a public project. Such location and identification shall be communicated in writing to the City without cost to the City, its employees, agents, or authorized contractors. The Company shall designate and maintain an agent, familiar with the facilities, who is responsible for providing timely information needed by the City for the design and replacement of facilities in the right-of-way during and for the design of public improvements. Also at the request of the Company, the City and/or its contractor(s) or agent(s) shall provide accurate and timely field locations of proposed public projects in the event the Company is required to install new facilities and/or relocate its facilities. If the Company fails to accurately locate facilities within a reasonable time as requested by the City, it shall have no claim for costs or damages against the City.
5.10 City Facilities. The City reserves the right to lay, and permit to be laid, storm sewer, gas, water, wastewater and other pipe lines, cables, and conduits, and to do and permit to be done any underground or overhead work that may be necessary or proper in, across, along, over, or under the right-of-way occupied by the Company. The City also reserves the right to change, in any manner, any curb, sidewalk, highway, alley, public way or street.
ARTICLE VI Assignment; Saving Clause
6.1 Assignment. Nothing in this Ordinance shall prevent the Company from assigning its rights under this franchise.
6.2 Saving Clause. If any portion of this franchise Ordinance is declared illegal or void by a court of competent jurisdiction, the remainder of the Ordinance shall survive and not be affected thereby.
ARTICLE VII Force Majeure
7.1 Company shall not be required to perform any covenant or obligation in this Ordinance, or to be liable in damages to City, so long as the performance or non-performance of the covenant or obligation is delayed, caused or prevented by an act of God, force majeure or by the other party. An “act of God” or “force majeure” is defined for purposes of this Ordinance as strikes, lockouts, sit-downs, material or labor restrictions by any governmental authority, unusual transportation delays, riots, floods, washouts, explosions, earthquakes, fire, storms, weather (including wet grounds or inclement weather which prevents construction), acts of the public enemy, wars, terrorism, insurrections, and/or any other cause not reasonably within the control of Company or which by the exercise of due diligence Company is unable wholly or in part, to prevent or overcome.
(04-07-2026)